Page 31 - Technology Roadmap Transportation

TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP: TRANSPORTATION

1.0
INTRODUCTION

Transport is an essential component with connected by the new roads[2]. The problems
which people not just connect with each related to urban transport became increasingly
other, but also progress. To fulfill the increase in complex due to massive increase in road
demand for safe, reliable, environmental friendly, network, increased economic activities on the
economical and efficient transport system, one hand and shortage of resources on the
road infrastructure becomes crucial. With an other hand. Due to unprecedented growth in
increase in types of motor vehicles, there has population and unchecked migration from rural
been a gradual transition from rail-dominated areas to urban areas and metropolitan cities,
transport to road-dominated transport over last population pressure increased in urban areas
few decades. The share of railways in passenger- and metropolitan cities.
km has decreased by ~60%[1]. Transport
of passengers and goods is vital to satisfy Today, India has one of the largest road
the mobility needs, which is commensurate networks in the world aggregating to ~5.23
with today’s lifestyle characterized by social million km as of November, 2016. Roadways
interactions and reliable goods distribution still remains the dominant mode of transport in
nationwide. The transportation system of any India, carrying >75% of total traffic, out of which,
country works as the backbone of its economy. road carries >57% freight traffic and >85%
Transportation infrastructure needs to be passenger traffic[3]. There are several indicators
upgraded periodically, as per the requirement of development of road infrastructure. These
of the economy. Road transportation system include total road length, passengers carried i.e.
consists of two major segments: Road network, billion passenger kilometres (BPKM), vehicles
and vehicle systems. Brief overview of evolution per km of road, passenger cars per 1000 people
and growth in these segments is given in etc. Road network density of India’s highways
following sections. is 0.66 km of road per square kilometre of
land, which is almost similar to that of the
1.1 EVOLUTION OF ROAD TRANSPORT USA (0.65) and greater than China’s (0.16)
SECTOR IN INDIA or Brazil’s (0.20) highway network density[3].
Starting from 1960’s, Indian road network has Indian road network face numerous challenges
developed in several stages and it is largely such as overcrowding, congestion, pollution,
influenced by different political, technological, overloading and poor maintenance of the
environmental and social factors. Total length of available infrastructure. 33% of Indian villages
motorable roads in India in 1954 was estimated still do not have access to all-weather roads. The
to be ~353,000 km, which was meagre for any figure 1.1 shows the evolution of roads as well
country of size of India, and its population. In as the current share of different types of roads
1985, the total motorable road length increased in Indian Road network.
to 1.77 million km and 208,938 villages were

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